Beverage dispenser



May 15, 1956 w. H. JACOBS 2,745,641

BEVERAGE DISPENSER Filed March 16, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 when/EJ200225,

uilfioaweys y 1955 w. H. JACOBS 2,745,641

BEVERAGE DISPENSER Filed March 16, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jacobs, by Wu $7M May 15, 1956 w. H. JACOBS BEVERAGE DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 16, 1955 A/ 5 RGW/ l l w 5 4 7 0 5 4 6/ 5 M l a 0 6 m I 13219933503 W HJacoZws, 45 WWW rm flfioa negm y 1956 w. H. JACOBS 2,745,641

BEVERAGE DISPEN$ER Filed March 16, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 /8 1| 1| Ill 70- ll 2/- I L J. j a 3- 1.1 1:1

12209228021- w'tzwfiJacobs, y W k May 15, 1956 w JACOBS 2,745,641

BEVERAGE DISPENSER Filed March 16, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Egk".

i Izwezaiofl- II. Jacobs,

United States Patent 2,745,641 BEVERAGE DISPENSER William H. Jacobs, Newton, Mass. Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,677 11 Claims. Cl. 259-36) This invention relates to a dispenser for fruit juices and s milar beverages, for use in soda fountains and other establishments serving the public.

Fresh fruit juices, or those made from frozen concentrates, such as orange juice for example, must be kept cold, and preferably aerated to a certain extent to be palatable. It is also necessary to stir or circulate such beverages, in order, to prevent the solid material from settling. Many of the beverage dispensers now in use are provided with refrigerating elements, and some agitate the beverage by means of revolving paddles or circulating pumps. Most of these dispensers, however, have dead spots where the beverage does not circulate, particularly in the region of the dispensing tap. The. liquid trapped in these spots not only becomes unpalatable but tends to spoil more quickly than the cooler liquid and causes deposits of scum or sediment. Also, the circulation is inadequate next to the wall of the tank, giving rise .to a ring of scum which. is unsightly and hard to remove. Another problem encountered ,in. the paddle type of stirring mechanism, and conventional circulation pumps is leakage of oil through the packing of the drive shafts, as a very minute quantity of oil in the beverage makes it unfit for consumption. All ofthese dispensers, furthermore, have inaccessible areas and parts which are difiicult or impossible to sterilize.

The object of this invention, is to provide a beverage dispenser which cools the beverage uniformly, which maintainscontinuous circulation in. all, partsof the storage and dispensing system, which has a minimum of parts to dismantle for cleaning, all parts in contact with the beverage being accessible for sterilizing, which aerates the beverage to the desired degree, which.eliminates the, formation of scum on the walls of the tank, and which. has no packings, drive shafts, or other connections through which oil leakage can occur.

in the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a liquid cooler and dispenser constructed according to. the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the cooler,

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the cooler,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section taken along line '-5 of Pig. 7,

Fig. 6 is a front elevation partly in cross-section along line 66 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the pump, dispensing valve, and circulating system as seen in Fig. 3, and

Pig. 8 is a fragmentary cross-section taken along line S& of Fig. 7.

The liquid to be dispensed is stored in a tank 10, preferably transparent plastic, supported on a stand or housing 11. A conventional condensing unit 12 for the refrigerating system ismounted in the housing, and supplies refrigerant to the coils 13 which are-enclosed in a cylindrical jacket 14 secured to the top plate 15 of the housing. The tank has an opening 16 in the bottom large enough to clear jacket 14. Cemented around this I 2.145.641 Patented Nlay 2 opening is an elastic gasket 17, which preferably. has a split outer lip as shown in Fig. 3 so that it overlapsgthe edge of the opening top and bottom. The inner edge-jot the gasket is of somewhat smaller diameter than jacket 13. When the tank, which is removable for cleaning, is pushed down over the jacket the iner edge of gasketl'l expands and bends upward, forming a liquid tight seal around the opening. n Q

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the housing 10 has; a central, more or less rectangular recess 18 in its;,upper front part. Immediately below this recessed portion, is a permanent magnet 19 which is mounted on the shaft 20 of an electric motor 21. A generally circular well 22 is formed in the bottom of tank 10 in such aposition as to project into recess 18 and houses a pump unit tobe later described. Tank 10 has a removable cover, consisting of double walls 23 and 24 with an air space be: tween for insulation, and a tubular sleeve 25 is formed in the bottom front part of the tank to accommodate the dispensing valve. p

As shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 7, .well 22 has an internal flange 26 which supports a cap 27 having a handle .28. The cap is locked in place by means ofa pairof studs 29 and 36 which bear on the upper surface of wedge members 31 and 32 respectively formed on therimofthe cap. The cap also has oppositely disposed notches 33 and 34. The cap may be removed by turning it counter; clockwise as viewed in Fig. 8, to align the notches with the studs. Fixed in handle 28 and projecting down through the cap is a shaft 35 having a reduced lower end 36 on which is rotatably mounted an impeller generally designated as 37. The impeller consists of a molded plastic cylindrical casing 38 having a numberrof vanesj? on its upper surface. A permanent magnet 40 preferably of a magnetic alloy such as Alnico, is enclosed in thecasing. The impeller is secured to shaft 35 by abroad headed screw 41 threaded into the lower end. The permanent magnet 4i) follows magnet 19 which is driven by the motor 21, and thus provides the drive for the impeller. Since there is no mechanical connection between the motor and impeller, 'there are no bearingsuoLPflckings in contact with the liquid. The problem of oilleakg age in the circulating system is thus entirelyeliminatd By turning cap 27, as previously described the entire impeller unit may be removed for sterilizing. Motor 21, and magnet 19 areenclosed within the housingll and thus protected against corrosion by the beverage.

.At the. level of vanes 39 well 18 is enlarg d to;form an eccentric pumping chamber 42. Cap 27. is provided with a pair of inlet ports 43 and 4 4. A delivery pipe;.45 leads from chamber 42, and communicates with an aperture 46 in sleeve 25. Fixed in sleeve 25 is a bushing .47. A hollow valve stem 48 issIidably mounted in the bushing, and is divided by a partition 4 9 into two sections, the lower section forming the dispensing nozzle 50,-.andthe upper section 51 having an internal shoulder52 on which is mounted a standpipe 53. A pin-54 mounted onsection 51 engages a slot 55 in the standpipe and aslot56 inthe wall of sleeve 25 to lock the valve and standpipe. assembly against turning. Standpipe 53 is provided with two outlets, a port 58 below the level of the liquid in tank 10, and a port 59 at the top.

A port 57 in the wall of stem section 51 is in register with port 46 when the valve is closed. Under this con: dition, the beverage circulates in the direction of the arrows from the pumping chamber 42 through pipe 45, into valve section 51, up through standpipe 53,.out into the tank through ports 58 and 59, and back to the pump through ports 43 and 44. The discharge through port 58 is at an angle tangential to the wall of jacket 14 and sets up a rotary motion about the jacket in the lower part of the tank. The upper port is close to the lower wall 23 of the cover and substantially parallel to it. The upper part'of the standpipe is bent back so that the discharge from. the upper port tends to strike the cover toward the center and flow down uniformly over the interior of the cover. This method of circulation aerates the beverage to the extent desirable for flavor, without producing foam.

. Mounted on the outside of sleeve 25 is a face plate 6% which is secured by a thumb screw 61 threaded into sleeve 25 and bushing 47. A dispensing handle 62 is hinged to the bottom of the face plate by means of a spring hinge 63. The handle has a forked end 64 which engages a groove 65 around the lower part of nozzle 50. When the handle is in the position shown in Fig. 7, in which position it is normally held by spring hinge 63, the valve is closed. A rubber ring 66 on the stem seats on bushing 47 and forms a seal.

-To open the valve, the handle is pulled back to the position indicated by the dotted line 67 in Fig. 3, raising the stem member and standpipe assembly to bring port 68, which leads to the nozzle, into communication with port 46.- The beverage is then discharged through the nozzle directly from the pump. The dimensional relationships of the valve assembly are such that, when the valve is open, the lower part of port 57 remains in communication with port 46. A part of the liquid thus continues to circulate up through the standpipe and maintains the motion of the beverage in the tank.

' Mounted in housing 11 is a sterilizing lamp 70 which shines through an aperture 69 toward the tip of the dispensing nozzle and keeps the nozzle sanitary. The swirling action produced by the discharge from orifice 58 not only keeps the beverage uniformly cool but results in rapid heat transfer to the refrigerating unit, thus improving the efliciency of the refrigeration. The direct circulation through the interior of the valve insures that each portion dispensed is cold, even when the valve is not opened for some time. It will also be noted that dispensing valve is connected directly to the discharge side of the pump so that the beverage is dispensed under high pressure. This method of delivery speeds up the dispensing and also serves to further aerate the beverage as it is dispensed. The liquid emerging from the upper orifice of the standpipe flows down all around the walls of the tank and prevents formation of scum on the sides.

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid dispenser comprising: a storage tank for the liquid; a cylindrical refrigerating element mounted in said tank and spaced from the walls thereof; a pump having an intake port communicating with said tank and a discharge port; a discharge conduit leading from said discharge port; means for driving said pump; and a standpipe leading upward into said tank, having its lower end connected to said conduit, said standpipe having an orifice above the level of liquid in the tank, and an orifice below said level, said latter orifice being adapted to discharge substantially tangentially to the walls of said refrigerating element.

2. In a liquid dispenser having a storage tank for the liquid; a hollow sleeve extending downward from said tank; an opening in the side of said sleeve; a pump having an intake orifice communicating with said tank and a discharge orifice communicating with said opening; a hollow valve stem slidably mounted in said sleeve; a partition dividing said stem into upper and lower compartments; an orifice in said stem leading from said upper compartment into said tank; a first hole in the side wall of said upper compartment normally in register with said opening; a discharge nozzle leading from said lower compartment; a second hole in the side wall of said lower compartment; and means adapted to raise said stem to bring said second hole into register with said opening, whereby liquid is discharged through said nozzle, said first hole being so arranged as to remain partly in communication with said opening when said second hole is in register therewith.

3. A liquid dispenser comprising: a supporting stand; a cylindrical refrigerating element mounted on said stand;

a storage tank for the beverage; a circular opening in the bottom of said tank of a size to admit said element; an elastic ring shaped gasket of internal diameter smaller than the diameter of said element attached to said tank around said opening said gasket being stretched to form a seal around said element when said tank is in place on said stand; a pump impeller mounted within said tank for circulating the liquid; a first magnetic element attached to said impeller; a second magnetic element mounted on said stand adjacent said impeller; means for driving said second magnetic element, thereby driving said impeller with a pumping motion, said magnetic elements being separated from each other by the wall of the tank and there being no connection between said stand and the interior of the tank except through said gasket.

4. A liquid dispenser comprising: a supporting stand; a cylindrical refrigerating element mounted on said stand; a storage tank for the beverage; a circuiar opening in the bottom of said tank of a size to admit said element; an elastic ring shaped gasket of internal diameter smaller than the diameter of said element attached to said tank around said opening said gasket being stretched to form a seal around said element when said tank is in place on said stand; a magnetic pumping element mounted in said tank for circulating the liquid; and magnetic means adapted to drive said element with a pumping motion, mounted on said stand adjacent said magnetic element and separated therefrom by the wall of the tank, there being no connection between said stand and the interior of said tank except through said gasket.

5. A liquid dispenser as described in claim 2, said first hole being disposed immediately above, and said second hole immediately below the partition, the partition and said opening being so proportioned as to permit said opening to be partly in register with both holes at once when said stem is raised.

6. In a liquid dispenser having a storage tank for the liquid and a system for circulating the liquid in the tank, a circulating pump comprising: a substantially cylindrical well formed in the bottom of the tank and having a closed bottom, a side wall, and an inlet and an outlet, said side wall having an inwardly projecting flange and a pair of projections overhanging and spaced above said flange; a cap seated on said flange and covering said well, said cap having a pair of sloping upper surfaces adapted to engage said projections, whereby rotation of said cap in a given direction locks it in place; a pump impeller rotatably mounted in said well and supported by said cap; a magnet attached to said disk; and magnetic means disposed under the bottom of said well and adapted to drive said magnet with a pumping motion.

7. A circulating pump as described in claim 6, said impeller including a casing in which said magnet is enclosed.

8. A liquid dispenser comprising: a supporting stand; a cylindrical refrigerating element mounted on said stand; a storage tank for the beverage; a circular opening in the bottom of said tank of a size to admit said element; an elastic ring-shaped gasket of internal diameter smaller than the diameter of said element attached to said tank around said opening, said gasket being stretched to form a seal around said element when said tank is in place on said stand; a pump impeller rotatably mounted in said tank, said impeller including a casing; a magnet enclosed in said casing; and magnetic means mounted on said stand adjacent said impeller and separated therefrom by the wall of the tank, there being no connection between said stand and the interior of said tank except through said gasket.

9. In a liquid dispenser having a storage tank for the liquid and a system for circulating the liquid in the tank, a circulating pump comprising: a generally cylindrical well formed in the bottom of the tank, said well having a closed bottom and an inlet disposed to admit liquid from said tank; a cap covering said well, a disk rotatably mounted concentrically in said well; a permanent magnet fixed to said impeller disk; magnetic means disposed under the bottom of said well and adapted to drive said mag net, along with said disk, with a rotary motion; and impeller vanes mounted on said disk, said well having an enlarged portion in the region of said vanes forming a generally cylindrical pumping chamber eccentrically disposed with respect to said disk and having a point of minimum width, and said enlarged portion having a discharge outlet leading from said chamber adjacent said point, said disk, along with said vanes, being rotated in such a directiton as to cause rotational flow of liquid in said chamber toward said outlet.

10. A pump as described in claim 9, having a circular flange overhanging said enlarged portion and disposed concentrically with said disk, said cap being seated on said flange.

11. A liquid dispenser comprising a supporting stand; a generally cylindrical refrigerating element mounted on said stand; a storage tank for the beverage; a generally circular opening in the bottom of said tank of a size to admit said element; an elastic ring-shaped gasket, having an inner edge of a diameter smaller than the diameter of said element, said gasket being secured to said tank around said opening, and the portion of said gasket adjacent said inner edge being stretched and bent to lie alongside said element and form a seal therewith when said tank is in place on said stand; a magnetic pumping element mounted in said tank for circulating the liquid; and magnetic means adapted to drive said element with a pumping motion, mounted on said stand adjacent said magnetic element and separated therefrom by the wall of the tank, there being no connection between said stand and the interior of the tank except through said gasket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,706,418 Sissom Mar. 26, 1929 2,308,181 Laird Ian. 12, 1943 2,350,534 Rosinger June 6, 1944 2,356,784 Graham Aug. 29, 1944 2,518,758 Cook Aug. 15, 1950 2,548,597 Ellison Apr. 10, 1951 2,552,169 Graham May 8, 1951 

